Row scrambling in ejector arrays

Abstract

An image forming system is provided having a printhead including a plurality of ejectors arranged in one or more sequenced groups. Each of the ejectors has a sequence number assigned thereto, ranging from a minimum value and incremented to a maximum value within each sequence group. The plurality of ejectors have an arrangement such that a difference between the sequence number assignment of any two adjacent ejectors is less than a difference between the maximum and minimum sequence number assignment values.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. In an image forming system, a printhead, comprising: 
       a plurality of ejectors non-uniformly spaced and arranged in one or more non-linear sequenced groups, each of said ejectors having a sequence number assignment ranging from a minimum value to a maximum value within each said sequence group;  
       said plurality of ejectors arranged such that a difference between said sequence number assignment of every two adjacent ejectors is less than a difference between said maximum value and said minimum value.  
     
     
       2. The printhead according to  claim 1 , wherein said ejectors in each of said one or more non-linear sequenced groups are arranged to form a one-cycle sine wave pattern. 
     
     
       3. The printhead according to  claim 2 , wherein said difference between said adjacent ejectors in said one or more non-linear sequenced groups is greater than one. 
     
     
       4. The printhead according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of a minima and a maxima of pattern groupings is two or greater. 
     
     
       5. The printhead according to  claim 4 , wherein said plurality of ejectors in said one or more non-linear sequenced groups are arranged in a multicycled pattern such that a resulting pattern has a spatial frequency when printed of greater than three cycles per milimeter. 
     
     
       6. The printhead according to  claim 1 , wherein each non-linear sequenced group comprises eight ejectors. 
     
     
       7. The printhead according to  claim 6 , wherein a maximum difference between sequence number assignments of any two adjacent ejectors in said one or more non-linear sequenced groups is two. 
     
     
       8. The printhead according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of ejectors in said one or more non-linear sequenced groups are arranged to form a three-cycle pattern. 
     
     
       9. The printhead according to  claim 8 , wherein each of said sequenced groups comprises eight ejectors. 
     
     
       10. The printhead according to  claim 8 , wherein a maximum difference between sequence number assignments of any two adjacent ejectors of said one or more sequenced groups is five. 
     
     
       11. A printhead, comprising: 
       a plurality of non-uniformly spaced ejectors disposed in a predetermined non-linear arrangement that reduces a difference between sequence number assignments of an end ejector of a first sequenced group and a beginning ejector of a second sequenced group to a value less than a difference between a maximum sequence number assignment and a minimum sequence number assignment.  
     
     
       12. The printhead according to  claim 11 , wherein said predetermined arrangement of ejectors forms a one-cycle sine wave. 
     
     
       13. The printhead according to  claim 11 , wherein said ejectors comprise one of charge and ink ejectors. 
     
     
       14. The printhead according to  claim 11 , wherein each of said sequenced groups contains eight ejectors. 
     
     
       15. The printhead according to  claim 14 , wherein a maximum difference between sequence number assignments of any two adjacent ejectors of said one or more sequenced groups is two. 
     
     
       16. The printhead according to  claim 11 , wherein said predetermined arrangement is derived from a three-cycle pattern. 
     
     
       17. The printhead according to  claim 16 , wherein said ejectors comprise one of charge and ink ejectors. 
     
     
       18. The printhead according to  claim 16 , wherein each of said sequenced groups contains eight ejectors. 
     
     
       19. The printhead according to  claim 18 , wherein a maximum difference between sequence number assignments of any two adjacent ejectors of said one or more sequenced groups is five. 
     
     
       20. The printhead according to  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of ejectors in said one or more non-linear sequenced groups are arranged in a multicycled pattern such that the resulting pattern has a spatial frequency when printed of greater than 3.0 cycles per millimeter. 
     
     
       21. A method of arranging ejectors in a printhead of an image forming system, comprising the steps of: 
       assigning a sequence number to each of a plurality of ejectors in one or more groups; and  
       arranging each of said plurality of ejectors in at least one of said sequenced groups on a printhead in a non-linear and non-uniformly spaced manner such that a difference between said sequence number assignment of every two adjacent ejectors is less than a difference between a maximum sequence number assignment value and a minimum sequence number assignment value.  
     
     
       22. The method according to  claim 21 , further comprising the step of arranging said plurality of ejectors in each said sequenced groups in a generally one-cycle sine wave pattern. 
     
     
       23. The printhead according to  claim 22 , wherein said difference between said adjacent ejectors in said one or more non-linear sequenced groups is greater than one. 
     
     
       24. The printhead according to  claim 22 , wherein a maximum difference between sequence number assignments of any two adjacent ejectors in said one or more non-linear sequenced groups is two. 
     
     
       25. The method according to  claim 21 , wherein said arranging step comprises disposing each of said plurality of ejectors in a generally three-cycle sine wave pattern. 
     
     
       26. The printhead according to  claim 25 , wherein said difference between said adjacent ejectors in said non-linear sequenced groups is greater than one. 
     
     
       27. The printhead according to  claim 25 , wherein a maximum difference between sequence number assignments of any two adjacent ejectors of said one or more sequenced groups is five.